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PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Constar Inc., a subsidiary of ³Ô¹Ï51±¬ÁÏÍø Cork & Seal Company, Inc. (NYSE: CCK; Paris Bourse) today announced the launch of a resealable pasteurizable PET bottle capable of withstanding the rigorous tunnel pasteurization processes that are used to produce the majority of all packaged beer globally.

The pasteurizable PET bottle has completed successful line trials with Abita Brewery, a New Orleans based brewer. Commercialization of the pasteurizable PET bottle will be led by Constar and will be available to consumers early in 2002. Testing with other undisclosed brewers is currently underway.

The first single-serve PET beer bottles were introduced in 1999 and quickly gained favor in "venue" markets including sporting events, concerts and other outdoor activities. As consumer preference grows, there is an expectation that the new pasteurizable beer bottle will offer the brewing industry the ability to further expand the markets they serve with minimal capital investment.

David Blossman, President of Abita Brewery, commented, "We were very impressed with the performance of Constar's PET pasteurizable bottle in manufacturing tests and consumer trials. The new bottle preserves product flavor, is lighter and able to maintain excellent structural performance throughout filling and pasteurization. We are very pleased to offer this innovative packaging to our beer consumers who have demonstrated a thirst for the convenience of PET bottles."

Dan Abramowicz, Executive Vice President of Corporate Technologies for ³Ô¹Ï51±¬ÁÏÍø added, "This package will allow all brewers to offer a PET package option without costly changes to their existing production facilities. The pasteurizable PET bottle runs through standard filling and pasteurizing equipment."

To develop the new pasteurizable PET bottle, Constar redesigned the container in three key areas. First, the PET container's oxygen and carbon dioxide barrier were improved with ³Ô¹Ï51±¬ÁÏÍø's patented Oxbar(TM) oxygen scavenger. Secondly, the bottle was redesigned using a new, patented base to withstand the rigorous tunnel pasteurization process. Finally, a new barrier closure was developed by ³Ô¹Ï51±¬ÁÏÍø's Closure Group for use on the PET package and the bottle thread finish optimized for enhanced sealing. Together, these innovations combine to offer superior performance in the tunnel pasteurization environment.

³Ô¹Ï51±¬ÁÏÍø Cork & Seal is the leading supplier of packaging products to consumer marketing companies around the world. World headquarters are located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

SOURCE ³Ô¹Ï51±¬ÁÏÍø Cork & Seal Company, Inc.
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CONTACT: Dan Abramowicz, Executive Vice President - Corporate Technologies, +1-215-698-5143, or Investors: Timothy J. Donahue, Senior Vice President of Finance, +1-215-698-5088, both of ³Ô¹Ï51±¬ÁÏÍø Cork & Seal
CAPTION: PHM067 CROWN CORK & SEAL LAUNCHES FIRST PASTEURIZABLE PET BEER BOTTLE Pasteurizable PET beer bottle. (PRNewsFoto)[JL] PHILADELPHIA, PA USA 10/15/2001